Giving Back
by HamPickleSandwich
Summary: This was my first 9 fiction, posted on the awesome 9 forum. Basically it's an alternate ending. 9 belongs to Shane Acker. Edit: Sorry guys! It's only a 2 shot!
1. Part 1

"2!!! 2, where are you?!" I shouted, running through the halls of the cathedral. 2 wasn't in his workshop. He was never in his workshop when I needed him. I couldn't find 5, either. I slipped on the glossy floor and fell. 7 appeared out of nowhere, concerned.

"Are you okay?" she asked me. I muttered to myself as I got up again. She looked at me, obviously wary of the way I was twitching. I had news for 2. I had to get to 2. Where was 2???

"I'm fine. Where's 2?" I asked her, hoping for an answer. She shrugged, and I groaned, running off again. Narrowly avoiding a punch to the arm, I sprinted further down the hallway, nearly crashing into a wall when I had to turn right. He was most likely outside... most likely with 5, looking for bits and pieces to tinker with... or maybe spare bits if somebody got hurt again.

I ignored the stabbing sensation to my side, breathing hard. Not looking where I was going, I tripped and barrel-rolled down a small mound. I was quite tempted to try it again for the exhilaration and happiness that welled up inside me- a fun game to try another time. Another time. Not right then. Another time, have to try another time. I couldn't get distracted. Finally, I was right-side-up, and able to look for 2 once more.

"2? 2... 2!" I called out. He didn't reply, but I heard a conversation on the other side of the plastic scrap heap I had landed next to. I ran around it, sending up small clouds of dust as I went. There he was! Finally! 2 and 5... 2 and 5 were looking at something- it looked like a pen or something, or maybe a screwdriver... But I couldn't get distracted. Couldn't get distracted. I had to concentrate.

"2! I have something to tell you! 2!" I was shouting again, though their hand gestures clearly told me to be quiet. I ignored them, still sprinting towards them. I tripped again, landing flat on the ground at 2's feet. 2 bent down, though there was a quiet yet ominous crack that sounded from his metallic spine. He smiled at me kindly, as he always did. He believed in me. He was nice to everybody.

"What brings you out here at such a hurry, 6?"

"I had another vision... I know how to bring us back. You need to bring us back... back from the dead; you can invent something... 2 will invent something, and then 9 can fix us..." I trailed off, muttering to myself. Couldn't get distracted. I looked up again, undoing the Velcro on my chest and withdrawing the crumpled piece of paper inside. I noticed 5 again- he looked lost.

"9? What do you mean?" 5 asked me suspiciously. He didn't really believe me, but he tried to. I knew he did. 5 was nice to me... he fixes me whenever I get hurt. 5 is nice. But I couldn't get distracted. I gave the paper to 2, and let 5 look over his shoulder at it. It was very messy, because the vision was really blurred, but I had seen 9. We would be joined by 9, and he would bring us all back. Back from the dead... but we needed to tell him what to do. We needed to find the Professor's lab...

"Interesting... very interesting. That's quite a design you have there, 6. But I don't know how it would work or what to do..." 2 looked back at 5, who shrugged. They gave me an apologetic look.

"No! Nonononono! It works, I saw it! You can make it, 2! You must make it! 5 can help! We have one half of the talisman, you can make it work! Please! Please, make it work!!" I had collapsed onto my knees and begged. 2 looked back up at 5, clearly exchanging a conversation that only those with a special bond can exchange. 2 and 5 have it, and so do 3 and 4. But I could think about that another time. Not then, another time. Think about them another time. My optics refocused on 2.

"Well... we can try. No promises, though." 2 told me, sending wave of relief through me. I jumped up and embraced him, careful not to scratch him with my nib fingers.

***

Perhaps a month had passed by. 9 hadn't come yet. But he was coming soon... coming soon. I knew what he looked like. He was coming soon. As friendly as he seemed, I wanted him to stay alone forever. Or at least, until we were done. 9's arrival brought 2's death. 2 would die. I didn't want 2 to die. He was nice to me. Nice to everybody. 5 would be upset. 5 was my friend... didn't want 5 to suffer. 3 and 4 sat on either side of me, watching 2 and 5 work. This was their forte. They were happy, and I was happy, and so were 3 and 4. 3 and 4 were just happy to be together. I smiled as the invention was brought together- it looked almost finished. I had half of the talisman in my hands.

"That will be enough for today, 5. I'm very tired right now." 2 finally said. I frowned a little- it was only halfway through the day. 2 was tired... 2 was getting weaker, and he was younger than 1. I didn't like 1 much, he didn't like me. He thought I was useless. He thought what I saw was a coincidence. But I couldn't get distracted... I could help 5, I could help finish it. We were so close...

Quite suddenly, I went rigid. The colours came back- red and beige and green and the colours of evil and death. There was 2, looking so frail. I screamed as I saw him die again, possibly for the hundredth time. There was 9 again, and then there was 5, and 7... Everybody. I watched us die, one by one. 9 didn't die, though. 9 would save us. I saw him with the talisman, attaching our machine to the life bringer that the Professor made.

The flash of bright green ended my vision. I slammed my fist on the ground in frustration. He was going to do what we told him... but I couldn't be sure that it would be successful. Couldn't let myself down. Can't let 2 down, don't let him down. He was still here, he would finish it. It was almost done.

"2, we're almost done, according to 6's designs. I can finish it." 5 called out to 2 as he walked towards me. I lay down again in relief, feeling as tired as 2 looked. So this was what it was like to be old... but I couldn't get distracted. I let my optics slide closed. I was on the cool floor beside the two piles of rags that served for bedding. It was nice.

3 stroked my carpet hair- I knew it was 3 because she wasn't afraid of me. 4 didn't like it when I had visions. She didn't want me to get hurt. She never touched me, she was afraid she would hurt me if she did. I lost consciousness as I fell into sleep. I dreamt that 5 would have finished when I woke up. Surely he would. 5 was good with these things. He fixed things. He fixed me. So he could finish. He would finish it.


	2. Part 2

I was glad that everything was over, but I was sad to be the only thing left in the universe. The B.R.A.I.N had been defeated, but it was at the expense of 8 lives... the 8 beings which I had spent almost my whole life with. The very 8 dolls that I trusted...that I loved. Out of some kind of cold comfort for them, I placed their bodies back where it all began, in the Professor's lab. That had taken days to do, just to pull them all the way there. I nearly couldn't do it. I still hadn't released their souls by then- I was selfish, so selfish. So I kept the two halves apart, hoping that somehow they would forgive me. Who knew, I could have even found a way to put myself in there.

Though, one day, out of sick curiosity, I decided to open them up. I don't know what possessed me to look into their deepest, darkest secrets, but I needed comfort. I pulled the Velcro on 6's chest first. I wasn't surprised to see it filled with scraps of paper, but I was surprised to find the letter.

_9,_ it read.

_Hi there. It's 6. I've never written a letter before, never written to somebody that I haven't met yet. Oh. Can't get distracted. I have to give you instructions. Will talk to you another time... if this works. I think it will. I know it will. But I can't get distracted. Nobody but 2 and 5 in my visions, at first. They were still the only ones when I saw that we would all die. But we can talk about that later. The reason you are reading this is because we have all died and you are the only thing that lives. Hopefully everything else is gone. They will. The monsters will be gone. They can't hurt us anymore. You need to take us to the Professors' lab. Hopefully you did that already. Don't release our souls. Put them in the machine first. Put the bad half of the talisman in the machine. Oh. 2 wants to talk to you. Here he is._

My hands shook as I read the letter from beyond the grave. 2... the kindly old doll. It was so like 6 to write a letter exactly the way he talked. I could almost hear their voices in my head. I read the neatly written calligraphy, which stood out under the splotchy mess that was 6's childish handwriting.

_Hello, 9. It's been a while. First of all, do not throw away this letter! It has specific instructions for you, and only you. I sincerely hope you're still alive and well, because you will need much strength to fulfil the task we (6 and I) have left for you. As 6 has already written, DON'T bring the two halves of the talisman together. The procedure won't work. Alright, read on carefully._

Before we found you, perhaps before the Professor's death, we brought a machine here that 6 designed from a vision. You may have seen this machine, or you may not have. It's right next to the very machine which gave us all life- the machine which has the four posts pointing diagonally inwards, and the mask with alchemy symbols. Hopefully you know what I'm talking about. Find the machine and take our bodies there. Put them in the space between the two parts of the machine.

There are wires coming from the machine which have clasps in the ends. Attach them to the inner mask (5 did you the favour of attaching it to the outer mask). Each wire coming from our machine goes onto the prongs of the inner mask from left to right. Do not mix this up! The wires have been numbered where the clasp is- the 1 wire will go onto the far left prong, and so on.

My common sense broke through my grief, and I sprang to action. I closed 6 up, and began to shift the party of corpses to the table. I was lucky to know what 2's invention was. It took me a long time, but the instructions given to me so far were completed. My optics returned to the letter.

_Crank the mirror up to its full height and point it at a 45° angle towards the floor. We have fixed it so it won't move any further. Place our corpses just in front of the chute of the machine. Check that everything is securely fixed in place. When you have finished that, attach the half of the talisman that holds our souls to the inner mask. It should stick there through magnetism. The green side should be facing you. Before you attach the other half, everything should be switched on. Make sure you have done this before attaching the other half of the talisman!_

I followed these new instructions eagerly, wondering if this was how the Professor felt when he created us. I still wasn't quite sure what the machine would do, but I my hopes had been raised for the one thing that would disappoint me most. I was trembling rather violently when the machines were finally whirring to life. Finally, I activated the attachment mechanism on both halves of the talisman, and took one last look at the letter. There were two words which I had not yet read.

_Good luck._

I stared at it in complete awe. I would need luck. Bracing myself for reasons I wasn't quite aware of, I pushed my half of the talisman into the half already attached to the machines. I closed my optics at the last second, as I was nearly thrown to the other side of the room from the force of the blast. I barely saw the green ray shoot out and hit the mirror. I guessed the ray then flicked down and hurtled down the chute, for the strange noise I heard suggested it. And then, all of a sudden, everything was quiet. The green light was gone, and I was hanging from a prong of the inner mask. I could see that my friends weren't moving. I hung there, waiting in hope.

I don't know how long it was before the disappointment hit me. I climbed down to the table, refusing to look at them twice. They were still lifeless; still dead. 1 was still trusting (as he had been just before he died), 2 was still kind, 3 and 4 were still frail and small. 5 was still the younger version of 2; kind and forgiving. 6 was still eerily peaceful, and 8 was still protective. Finally, 7 remained very, very beautiful- and the fizzy feeling deflated with a great sadness. Letting out a sigh of despair, I tucked the letter inside my torso and climbed down to where my staff waited. I couldn't stay here any longer. I had to find some other place to be- as that was my mission. To survive, to live- simply to be. If I remained here where they lay to rest forever, I was afraid that I would try to join them.

By the time I had my staff in hand and was a little way away from the table, I registered a thud from behind me. I froze, wild conclusions jumping through my head. What if the monsters hadn't been defeated? What if the noise from behind me was what would end my life? I turned slowly, nearly collapsing at what I saw at the foot of the table. My optics shuttered several times in disbelief.

Standing right there was the best sight that I had ever seen in my life.

"Well done, 9."


End file.
